Matt and Kara and their four children live and serve in the country of Indonesia with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Their children are Elizabeth (12), Charlotte (10), James (6), and Elliott (3). Moving to Indonesia in 2009, the Mengers has lived on the island of Sulawesi since 2010 - first in the city of Palu, and now in the northern part of the island in the city of Manado. In 2018 there was a devastating earthquake and tsunami in the city of Palu which the Lord used to lead them to this new city for ministry. Matt and Kara are both musicians and after graduating with music degrees, they felt called into ministry and have found a way to serve that utilizes their gifts. Matt travels across the archipelago of Indonesia working in partnership with local believers to encourage and support the creation of new worship songs in the local language and music style. Matt and Kara call Houston their “home base” and Matt grew up in Copperfield Church; his family began attending when he was in 5th grade.
Matt & Kara
Our Ministry
Matt and Kara are Arts Consultants with Wycliffe Bible Translators, working with the local church alongside musicians, actors, dancers, and storytellers to spark the creation of new artistic performances that communicate God's message in powerful ways. In addition to their responsibilities in Indonesia, Matt is coordinating EthnoArts work for four countries in Asia, and is also leading a team working on the Scripture Engagement Guide, a web-based tool created cooperatively by several large organizations for local communities to explore their needs and get connected with resources.
Learn More...
We're Matt & Kara
What is Ethnoidoxology?
Worship Across Indonesia
Kara - A Day in the Life
Teguh Interview
Tombulu - Ampungane
Music The Heart's Language
God's Word, the Source of Life
Kulawi Nowama - Pangakua Doha
How To Be Involved
Matt and Kara rely on individuals and churches for monthly financial support so that they can continue to live and serve in Indonesia. With their recent move to a new city, their budget has increased slightly and they will need to raise additional funds during their time in the US in 2021. If you are interested in financially supporting the Mengers, you can do so here: https://www.wycliffe.org/partner/menger.
There are lots of ways to stay in touch - Matt and Kara have a bi-monthly email newsletter, a private Facebook group, and are also active on Instagram and other social networks.
They also love visitors - if you are interested in a trip to Indonesia to experience life and a taste of the ministry there, please get in touch and we’ll work something out!
Ways You Can Pray
Prayer is an essential part of their ministry, and the Mengers are also looking for people committed to regular prayer for their family and work. If you are interested in joining their prayer team, please get in touch.
These are some ongoing prayer needs for their family and ministry:
- Health: We frequently have minor health issues such as boils or stomach problems, especially if the family gets tired or stressed. During the pandemic and the long period of uncertainty around their visa renewal, these issues have flared up again. Please pray for protection and health.
- Visas: We are thankful to have had a relatively stable visa to live and work in Indonesia for many years, but for others here that is not the case and we also recognize that our own situation could change at any time.
- Training: One of our long-term goals is to train and equip our Indonesisan coworkers to do our work so that it isn’t dependent on us. Please pray for opportunities to train and mentor others, as well as more Indonesians who feel called to ministry.
Impact: We long to see the people here and this country transformed by the good news. Would you please pray with us for the gospel to be spread far and wide here? There are encouraging developments in our area, and it is clear that God is moving and doing some big things behind the scenes with the church and our local partners. We’re glad to be here for the ride and are excited to see what happens next!
Learn More about our Ministry
Learn more about our ministry by clicking on the button below and use the password- sulawesi